Aṅguttara-Nikāya
2. Dukanipāta
2. Adhikaraṇa Vagga
Suttas 14-19-20
Translated from the Pāḷi by Michael M. Olds
Sutta 14
Explanations
[14][pts] The Tathāgata, beggars, explains things two ways.
What two?
Concisely[1] and at length.[2]
These, beggars, are the two ways the Tathāgata explains things.
§
Sutta 19
Skillful
[19][pts][than] "The unskillful, beggars, let that go.
It is possible, beggars,
to let go of the unskillful.
If it were not, beggars, possible
to let go of,
to not do the unskillful,
I would not speak thus:
'The unskillful, beggars, let that go.'
Since, however, beggars, it is possible
to let go of the unskillful
therefore I speak thus:
'The unskillful, beggars, let that go.'
Now if, beggars, letting go of the unskillful
conduced here to the useless, the painful,
I would not speak thus:
'The unskillful, beggars, let that go.'
Since, however, beggars, letting go of the unskillful
conduces to the pleasant, the useful,
therefore I speak thus:
'The unskillful, beggars, let that go.'"
§
"The skillful, beggars, beget that.
It is possible, beggars,
to beget the skillful.
If it were not, beggars, possible
to beget the skillful,
I would not speak thus:
'The skillful, beggars, beget that.'
Since, however, beggars, it is possible
to beget the skillful
therefore I speak thus:
'The skillful, beggars, beget that.'
Now if, beggars, begetting the skillful
conduced to the useless, the painful,
I would not speak thus:
'The skillful, beggars, beget that.'
Since, however, beggars, begetting the skillful
conduces to the pleasant, the useful,
therefore I speak thus:
'The skillful, beggars, beget that.'"
§
Sutta 20
The Good Word[3]
[20][pts] "Two, beggars, conduce
to the confusion of,
the disappearance of
the good Word.
What two?
Badly laid-down phrase and syllable
and badly-derived spirit.
Badly laid-down phrase and syllable, beggars,
drives poorly-practiced spirit.
Thus it is, beggars,
that these two conduce
to the confusion of,
the disappearance of
the good Word."
§
"Two, beggars, conduce
to the non-confusion of,
the non-disappearance of
the good Word.
What two?
Well laid-down phrase and syllable
and well-derived spirit.
Well laid-down phrase and syllable, beggars,
drives well-practiced spirit.
Thus it is, beggars, that these two conduce
to the non-confusion of,
the non-disappearance of
the good Word."
[1] Saṅkhittena. Literally 'with a toss'; to toss off, toss in, throw out, throw in. Not exactly the style of the Tathāgatas this must have been understood more closely to what we have in English. Brief or concise ... or maybe not! ... 'to toss off witty repartee' does not imply the use of careless wording.
[2] Vitthārena. Actually more like 'at breadth' which we do not have. In depth will not do because all the Buddha's teachings, brief or lengthy are 'Wondrously Deep'. See: AN 3 123
